I am not in favor of an 8 team playoff. I'm not thrilled about a 4 team playoff either, but it's much better than the 2 team BCS model that preceded it. Nevertheless, I recognize that I'm in the minority on this issue, and I strongly expect that FBS will eventually follow the model of other sports and expand their playoffs for the crassest of motives - cash. So here's how I would like to see that go down.

I also don't much care for autobids, so my model doesn't have any. And I believe that any playoff model should provide a path, no matter how slippery, for every FBS team to play its way in and/or to earn access to a New Years Bowl. To accomplish this, I propose a 6-2 playoff model as follows.

First, I would have all independents (most of whom are now excluded from the NY6) be treated as if they were a conference for this purpose only, and deem their "champion" to be the one ranked highest in the AP poll.

Then, from the pool of 11 champions, the six highest ranked teams would qualify for the 8 team playoff. The 2 remaining playoff spots would go to the highest ranked non-champions. The 4 first round playoff games would be played one week prior to New Years day at sites selected by bid.

The 2 second round playoff games would be played on or about New Year's day at either Atlanta (Peach Bowl site) or Dallas (Cotton Bowl site) plus two other sites TBD by bid. The Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls would also be played on or about New Years day, and would include the 8 highest ranked teams that did not qualify for the playoff. These bowls would decide in advance the method for assigning the participating teams to each bowl.

The CFP championship game would be scheduled as it now is, at a site to be selected by bid.

Each of the 16 teams invited to the NY8 would receive from the payout pool a fixed amount (say $2 million) for each game they play to cover the cost of travel for the team, families of the players and coaches, and anyone else the school wants to include.

Some of the positive features of this proposal are that more than one G6 champion could qualify for the playoff, and a highly ranked G6 team that didn't win its conference could still qualify for the NY8. P5 conferences having a down year would not be guaranteed a spot in either the playoff or the NY8 unless they produce a highly ranked team. Notre Dame would no longer be singled out for special treatment that wouldn't be available to any other school that doesn't want be be in a conference for football (I'm looking at you, Texas).

That's my proposal. Have fun tearing it apart (it's why we're all here).

Edited to show there would be two additional sites selected by bids to bring the NY6 to the NY8. I forgot to mention that in my original post.